Khayelitsha youth demand zero-rated data for jobs and university applications

Youth organisations in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on Tuesday called on the government to introduce zero-rated data for job applications and university financial aid.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile engaged with young people at a Presidential Youth Roundtable in the area on Tuesday afternoon.

The discussion focused on the lived realities of young South Africans, including unemployment, access to opportunities, and the digital divide.

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The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) said many young people were unemployed, yet were expected to access opportunities online without having money for data.

NYDA Chairperson Sunshine Myende said young people were being locked out of opportunities simply because they could not afford internet access.

“That is why we're lobbying for government to say that all opportunities that relate to young people, be it jobs, be it funding, when young people are accessing them they must be zero-rated where you don't need data,” said Myende.

She said the agency was lobbying the government to ensure that all youth-related opportunities, including jobs and funding, were zero-rated and accessible without data.

Deputy President Mashatile added that youth voices would help shape policies aimed at improving economic participation and inclusion.

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